Shadow of the Tomb Raider Dev Talks About the End of Lara Croft’s Journey

Shadow of the Tomb Raider launches in under two months and has already gone gold. The developers behind the trilogy’s final entry, Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics, keep narrative details close to their chests. But we do know that the threat heading for Lara Croft and the world is of apocalyptic proportions. However, there’s no reason to worrying about whether or not the beloved pop culture icon will survive. Still, a change will come that completely alters and concludes Croft’s journey as the Tomb Raider.

When talking to Official Xbox Magazine, Eidos Studio Head David Anfossi exclaimed, “You can’t kill Lara Croft!” Anfossi shared this sentiment when he explained that there are no plans to continue Croft’s journey after this chapter ends. He told OXM, “Honestly, we are not thinking about that yet. We have no plan on our side on Eidos Montreal for the next Tomb Raider at all. Nothing. Honestly.”

Anfossi also teased what this conclusion means for Croft overall. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara has grown past the timid student we met in the 2013 reboot. In this entry, she’s finally come into her own as the intrepid Tomb Raider she’s been for over two decades. Anfossi explained,

This trilogy is not about the Tomb Raider franchise—it’s about Lara Croft. If you played the previous games, from 1996 to now, at that time it was more about experiencing and discovering new stuff, blah blah blah. But Lara Croft was perfect. Two guns. Jumping. Flips. A tiger. Boom, boom, boom! It was like she was the James Bond of the time. This trilogy is more about her, and how she became the Tomb Raider she was meant to be.

This kind of evolution means Croft will often be pushed to her limits. Such pushing may take her down a dark path unfamiliar to both her and the audience.

It’s darker than before. It’s rough. Even the setting of the jungle, you know? She has to master it, but it’s a deadly setting. Everything in the jungle is dangerous. So for us, it was the best way to create this image that she’s going too far at some points and has to come back.

There will be down time, too, though. In a recent gameplay video, a hub area was shown that’s filled with activities and exploration opportunities. Hopefully, these moments will also allow Croft’s personality to stand out.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider arrives on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 14th.